NFL Star's Son Dies; Mother's Boyfriend Charged

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The toddler son of NFL star Adrian Peterson has died after police say he was severely beaten by his mother's boyfriend.

Authorities are now considering new charges against the suspect.

A two-year-old boy, reportedly a son of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, has died at a hospital in South Dakota, and a boyfriend of the child's mother is under arrest.

Sioux falls police responded to a medical emergency Wednesday night. The initial call was medical, of a child that was choking. Officers arrived and found the child was unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Once he was at the hospital the medical examiners found that he had some injuries that were not consistent with being accidental. They were consistent with being abused.

Police arrested Joseph Patterson, whom they described as a boyfriend of the child's mother, and charged him with aggravated battery of a child and aggravated assault, before the boy died.

Adrian Peterson's father Nelson spoke with Minneapolis-area newspapers and confirmed the boy was the NFL MVP's son, but the nature of Peterson's relationship with the boy and his mother is unclear.

Peterson was absent from the Vikings practice Thursday, dealing with an undisclosed private matter.

He returned Friday nd spoke to reporters after practice.

"This is a private matter and I just ask you all to please just respect my privacy and not ask at all about the situation at hand," is what he said.

Peterson says he will play in the Vikings game against Carolina on Sunday.

Patterson, the man in custody, is being held on $750,000 bond.

Prosecutors say they are considering additional charges given the boy's death.